SCIENCE
CLASS 6
CH 14: MAGNETISM
NOTES
1. The magnets were discovered by chance by an old shepherd named Magnus who lived
in ancient Greece.
2. The rock was named as Magnetite and also known as Natural magnets.
3. Since magnetite was used to find the directions to lead the way to find the directions, it
was also called ‘lodestone’ which also means leading stone.
4. Artificial magnets: A substance called ferrite is sometimes used to make artificial
magnets. It is a mixture of barium oxide and ferric oxide.
5. A magnet is an object which attracts things made up of iron, steel, nickel and cobalt.
6. Magnets are made of iron, steel or other alloys of iron by the process of magnetization.
7. Magnets are of different shapes and sizes so that they can be used for different
purposes. One of the most common shape is the bar magnet. Some of the other shapes
are horse shoe magnet, U-shaped magnet, cylindrical magnet, button magnet etc….
8. Difference between magnetic and non magnetic substances:
MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES NON MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES
1) Those materials which are attracted by 1) Those materials which are NOT
a magnet are called magnetic materials. attracted by a magnet are called magnetic
materials.
2) For example: Iron, steel, nickel and 2) For example: Wood, plastic, rubber,
cobalt. paper, cloth, glass, leather, copper, gold,
silver etc
9. Most of the substances around us are non- magnetic.
10. The regions of a magnet where the attraction of the magnet is the strongest are called
the poles of the magnet. The two poles of a magnet are near its free ends. One end of
the magnet is called north -pole and the other pole of magnet is called south pole.
11. Every magnet, whether big or small, has a north pole and a south pole. It is impossible
to have a magnet having one pole.
12. The same type of magnetic- poles are called like poles. The different types of magnetic
poles are called unlike poles.
13. PROPERTIES OF MAGNETS:
i) A freely suspended magnet always points in North-South direction.
ii) Like magnetic poles repel each other and unlike magnetic poles attract each
other.
14. A freely suspended Magnet always points in North – South direction: If a bar magnet is
freely suspended, it will swing until its one end points towards the north pole of earth
and the other towards the south pole of the earth. The given figure, shows a bar magnet
suspended from a thread which is tied to a wooden stand. We call it a freely suspended
magnet because it is free to move in any direction. Even if we turn the magnet by hand,
so that it points in another direction and then leave it. We will see that after a while
magnet comes back to its earlier position and again points in the same north – south
direction.
15. The end of magnet which points towards the north direction is called north seeking end
or north -pole of the magnet. The end of magnet which points towards the south
direction is called south seeking end or south- pole of the magnet.
16. This property of the freely suspended magnet is used to find the directions at unknown
places. For centuries, travelers on land and sea have been using this property of
magnets to find directions. In olden days, travelers to far off places used to carry natural
magnets and thread them.
17. Later on, when artificial magnets were available, an instrument called COMPASS was
developed by the scientists to find the directions easily.
18. COMPASS: It is an instrument to find the directions at a place. The compass has a tiny
magnet in the form of a needle which can freely rotate on a pivot (pin). The pivoted
magnetic- needle of the compass is enclosed in a small brass box having a glass top.
19. ATTRACTION AND REPULSION BETWEEN MAGNETS:
i) When we place two magnets in such a way that the north pole of one magnet faces
the north pole of the other magnet, they repel (push) each other. Similarly, when
the two magnets are placed near each other in such a way that south pole of one
magnet faces the south pole of the other magnet, they will repel (push) each other.
ii) When the two magnets are placed near each other in such a way that south pole of
one magnet faces the north pole of the other magnet, they will attract (come near)
each other.
20. POLES EXIST IN PAIRS: If we cut a magnet in smaller parts and check their poles, by any
of the method, each small piece of a magnet will behave as an individual magnet with
poles. We can never produce a magnet with a single pole.
21. MAGNETIC FIELD: This is the area around a magnet in which the influence of a magnet
can be felt. Magnetic field is stronger near the magnet and it decreases as we move
away from the magnet.
22. MAKING YOUR OWN MAGNET: There are many ways of making magnets. The easiest
way of making a magnet is by ‘stroking method’. If we stroke an iron bar with one end of
a bar repeatedly in the same direction, the iron bar becomes a magnet. Thus, we need
two things to make a magnet: an iron bar and a bar magnet.
23. ELECTROMAGNETS: Magnets can be also made by using electricity. The magnets made
by using electricity are called electromagnets. Electromagnets are very useful because
their magnetism can be switched ‘on’ or ‘off’ as desired.
24. DEMAGNETISATION: The process by which a magnet loses its properties is called
demagnetization.
25. PRECAUTIONS IN HANDLING MAGNETS: The magnets lose their property of magnetism
if they are heated strongly, hit with a hammer or dropped from a height. It no longer
remains a magnet. We should take precautions while handling magnets:
i) We should never heat a magnet.
ii) We should never hit a magnet with a hammer.
iii) We should never drop a magnet from a height.
iv) We should store the magnets properly when not in use.
26. HOW TO STORE MAGNETS PROPERLY:
i) The bar magnets are stored in pairs (separated by a piece of wood) with their unlike
poles on the same side and bars of soft iron kept across their ends. The soft iron bars
kept across the ends of two bar magnets are called keepers.
ii) The horse shoe magnets are stored properly just by keeping a bar of soft iron across
their ends. Thus, horse shoe magnets are stored singly and not in pairs.
27. USES OF MAGNETS: Refer Book page 150.
KEY WORDS DEFINTION
MAGNET A magnet is an object which attracts things made up of iron, steel,
nickel and cobalt.
MAGNETIC -KEEPERS These are the substances used to store magnets and made up of pieces
of soft iron.
ELECTROMAGNETISM The process of producing magnetism from electricity is called
Electromagnetism.
MAGNETIC LINES OF The path along which the force of a magnet acts.
FORCE
MAGNETITE The natural grey rock with magnetic properties is called magnetite.
PLEASE NOTE: Also refer book for diagrams, activities and practice exercises.
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